Correspondence

Dear Bay Weekly:
Lola loved Pet Tales for the Dog Days of Summer (Aug. 26), even though as the dog of two staffers she was banned from the photo competition. She carried the issue around with her for about 30 minutes — until it finally fell apart in her mouth.
–Margaret and Tom Tearman, Huntingtown

It’s a long way from the war in the Middle East to the Patuxent River. But that is where a number of our brave and wounded veterans found themselves on August 7. On that day, the U.S. Power Squadrons of Northern Virginia, Rockville and the Patuxent River hosted a Wounded Warrior Cruise for veterans who are recovering from their wounds at the Walter Reed and Fort Belvoir medical facilities.

Dear Bay Weekly:
Federal officials have determined that SeaWorld is at fault in the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau and issued citations for three safety violations, including one for willfully exposing employees to life-threatening hazards. A willful violation is defined as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health. SeaWorld was fined $75,000.

Dear Bay Weekly:
I can’t recall a time in the recent past that I was ever more proud to be an American then I was on August 14. On that day, I had the distinct privilege to stand along Route 260 at 7:15am along with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other Americans and welcome a busload of wounded soldiers from The Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Dear Bay Gardener
My son-in-law has a Lavatera shrub that I want a cutting from. How do I go about getting a good start from the original plant?
I can’t find a Lavatera. The only nurseries that have them seem to be in England or Ireland.
–Vicki Marsh, Deale
A Lavatera plants are grown almost exclusively from seeds. Cuttings root poorly and do not perform well; they don’t transplant well either. The seeds are easy to germinate, but they have about a three-month dormancy period after they have matured.